Tag: snow

I took these pictures of my windshield yesterday, December 15. It may be a bit hard to see, but the frost was making patterns like delicate feathers. If it hadn't been so cold I would have been tempted to sit and stare at them longer than I did. Instead I brought out some slightly warm water and washed the feathers away so I could get on with my day.

Yup, it snowed at The Mountain during the night. Not much, just a light dusting. But it is pretty and gold none-the-less. Oh, and by the way, I am an idiot and did not listen to my wife. I brought only sweaters – no coat or gloves. Yes, I am male. And I am cold!

Watching the Olympics the last few days reminds me of being here in Charleston. Why? Because we have had about the same amount of snow. What, 3 inches? But seriously, I watch the Olympics more for the scenery than any of the events. I mean have you seen the mountains in the background? Those long shots really make you want to go snow boarding, skiing, sledding, or at least drinking in the lodge by the fire.

I have friends who take ski holidays every year. They go to all sorts of places all over the world, yes rich friends, to take romantic ski get-aways. They have gone on holiday in the US, Canada and Europe. I will tell you, some of those places are beautiful and could cause you to fall in love even if you are an old curmudgeon like me.

I have searched many of these places on the web and have looked at the mountains through Switzerland, Germany and Austria. I love looking at those because you can get between them all by train and mass transit and never have to leave your relaxed state. (I love driving, but not in the snow.)

Of course I will tell you the truth, I have been skiing once. And that one time was when I was a teenager when I was much more limber and had better balance than I do know. I never made it off the bunny slope and nearly killed a young child in the brief time I was there. Luckily I am tall and he ducked and went through my legs. We both fell over comedy style after getting about 3 feet beyond each other. Somehow on that same trip I lost my pants to my thermal underwear but came back with two shirt. All in all, these are things that make me think I should stay away from ski slopes. Especially since I was on a church youth trip at the time.

It doesn't happen often, maybe once every 8 to ten years, but when it does it is amazing. And it also brings all of Charleston to a screeching halt. Yup, it snowed last night. And not just a little powdering, but a full fledged stick-to-the-ground snow. I haven't heard the official word yet but would estimate it at about 2 to 3 inches.

Now those of you in the North East or other places of regular snowfall will scoff at this as nothing. "Springtime weather!" you might declare. But in a place where we are in shorts and t-shirts at Christmas it is something wondrous, magical, and more than a little odd. Snow covered palm trees? Snow men on sailboats? Just a bit different from what you might expect.

So, here are some pictures of my yard that I took this morning. Yes, they are all from inside the warm house through the great invention of insulated double pane windows. Snow may be beautiful, but I was born a Southern boy and my blood is thin.